Obedience
by Chiikara
Summary: Placed under a curse that makes him obedient to every command, Satoshi is forced to follow Shigeru on his Pokemon quest. But how can he find love when he can't even choose for himself? Shishi, Shigeru x Satoshi, Palletshipping
1. Prologue

A/N: This is the prologue, taking place before the main events of the story. Chapter one is soon to come.

This story's main pairing is Shishi, or "Shigeru x Satoshi", Gary and Ash respectively. I prefer their Japanese names. I will, however, be using English pokemon names to avoid TOO much confusion. Enjoy the fic, and be sure to keep an eye out for the next chapter and the upcoming Shishi goodness.

- - - - - -

OBEDIENCE

- - - - - -

_Through the mess of tangled wires she appeared beside her imprisoned son, her long tail swishing, eyes glittering maliciously. Sakaki did not look up from his work on Mewtwo, did not even pause to think the creature a threat. She sometimes appeared and vanished again, watching over his progress with obvious hate, and yet so far she hadn't done a thing. Sakaki assumed it was because she was powerless._

_He was wrong._

"_Human." Mew breathed at last. "I have given you chance after chance to change your ways, and yet you continue to disrupt our flow." _

_Sakaki looked up at last, startled, his eyes narrowing. . ._

"_You have taken the freedom of my son." She said darkly. "And now, I shall take the freedom of yours. . ."_

_- - - -_

_Satoshi had been obedient for as far back as he could remember._

_As far as he knew, his mother was the only one who was fully aware of it. He had his thoughts that the people of the village knew something was wrong with him, perhaps unable to pinpoint exactly what, but knowing somehow that it was there. Satoshi liked to think that his father didn't know. He didn't remember much of his father, except for his hands – large hands. Boss hands. He didn't remember his eyes, if they were kind or not, but on lonely nights it was best to convince himself they were kind, even if deep inside he had serious doubts. _

_He liked to think his father didn't know. . .because of he did, that meant that he had left them well aware of what responsibilities he was neglecting. That would make him a bad person. Satoshi didn't want to admit his father might be a bad person._

_He never asked his mother about him, about his work, about what he did and said or why his face was never in focus in their photo albums. He had an idea, way in the back of his mind, that if he did, she would fix him with a hard stare and order something – "Go to your room" or "Go to sleep" or even worse, "Don't ever mention your father again." And then Satoshi would feel himself unwillingly doing her bidding._

_It was a curse._

_He didn't know how it began, the spell of obedience. He didn't know if he was born with it or if he had been damned for some horrible wrongdoing he couldn't remember. But if someone ordered him to do something – anything – even without his mind's consent, his body would obey._

_He never told anyone. He was afraid to tell anyone, to think of what they might do if they knew, how they might abuse their power over him. He was young, but he knew things, terrible things that might happen if the wrong person found out. Terrible things he would be forced to do._

_He never even told Shigeru, though he knew Shigeru was suspicious._

_The incident of the pokeball started just a few years back. Shigeru and Satoshi had been fishing together, both their hands on the rod, and Satoshi remembered with an odd twisting sensation in his stomach exactly how his hands had felt – so warm, and soft, but strong, even for his age. He had been a little in awe of him, of how different they were – so drawn into thought by it that he didn't even realize when something caught their hook._

_Excited, the two of them drew it in. It wasn't a normal fish, or magikarp or even a goldeen. It was a pokeball._

_Both Shigeru and Satoshi had been long since fascinated with pokemon, and in no time at all they were fighting over it._

"_I should keep it! I reeled it in!"_

"_We both did!" Satoshi countered hotly. "And you know it, Shigeru!"_

"_You're just being immature – "_

"_Am not! Look – just find another one, then we can both – "_

"_Where are we going to find another one!?" Shigeru snatched it out of their hands. "I'm keeping it!"_

"_No!" He reached forward and took the pokeball off him forcefully. "You're being unfair, Shigeru!"_

"_Am not! __**Give it to me!**__"_

_And automatically Satoshi felt his hands jerk forward, as if pulled by an invisible string, holding the pokeball out for him to take. The curse of obedience never failed. He turned his head away in disgust and shame, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see Shigeru snatching the pokeball out of his hands. There was silence, and for a moment, Satoshi thought Shigeru wouldn't take it. But then those soft, warm hands that he had so admired brushed against his open palm and the weight of the pokeball was gone._

"_Satoshi. . ."_

"_Shut up, Shigeru. Just shut up." Satoshi hissed, getting to his feet, and the next thing he knew he was running away, running back home, feeling foolish and betrayed and useless. He brushed past his startled mother and into his bedroom and threw himself down on the bed, burying his face into his pillow. "Stupid Shigeru." he chanted. "Stupid Shigeru, Stupid Shigeru. . ." And eventually sleep overtook him, making his eyelids heavy and his thoughts blurry, and he dreamed of a voice, a high, echoing voice. . ._

"_You have taken the freedom of my son. . . and now, I shall take the freedom of yours. . ."_

_After what seemed like an eternity of blackness he woke with a feeling of déjà vu, the dream forgotten, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of his room. A quick glance outside told him it was the middle of the night already. He looked around stupidly, half expecting Shigeru to be standing by the foot of his bed with the pokeball in his hands, leering at him. _

_And then something caught his attention._

_A white half-globe something was sitting on his bedside table, something he couldn't at first identify. Then he realized it was half a pokeball – half of the very same pokeball they had fought over at the lake._

_Satoshi slowly reached for it, turning it over in his small hands. The piece glittered in the starlight. Shigeru. . .Shigeru had broken it in half for him. Shigeru. . ._

_Satoshi cradled to pokeball to his chest, laying back down against the coolness of his bed sheets. He stayed there all night, blinking slowly up at the ceiling, all sleepiness gone, the piece of the pokeball warm in his hands. Thinking._


	2. Follow Me

_A/N: _For those who were wondering, this is indeed inspired by "Ella Enchanted!"

Story's disclaimer: Pokemon characters are not mine, but the plot and OC characters are.

Chapter one, ahoy!

- - - - - -

OBEDIENCE

- - - - - -

For a moment he was blind as Pikachu's electricity lit up the stadium walls, golden-white light flickering around them, his opponent's Onix flinching once but squeezing tighter around the electric mouse's small body. Pikachu cried out once and another thundershock exploded around her, her red cheeks flashing white briefly, round eyes squeezed shut into paper-fine slits. Onix released her, and she flew to the ground, shaking her head roughly before using her agility to dodge another blow, determination apparent in her eyes.

Satoshi's hands were clutched into fists, expressions ever-changing, cheering his friend on. "You can do it, Pikachu!"

Takeshi, Pewter City's Gym Leader, laughed sharply at that. "I highly doubt it. Your Pikachu is weak against rock-type Pokemon."

"Come on…!" Satoshi whispered under his breath, ignoring him. He may have been in a weak spot, but they were doing so _good._ This was his first-ever battle against another trainer, let alone a gym leader, and both Satoshi and Pikachu, his first pokemon, had their hearts set on winning. Some thought it foolish to challenge a master such as Takeshi so early, but Satoshi knew he'd never get anywhere if he didn't first get a badge. And as the fight raged on, his thoughts flickered toward his friend – or rather – his rival, now. Shigeru.

It was hard to drive the image of him from his mind once it resurfaced. Shigeru, his hair speared up at odd angles, handsome still and grinning maliciously, holding a pokeball in one hand, just out of Satoshi's reach. "I'm gonna be a Pokemon Master." he said victoriously, as if the task had already been done, "And I'll bring fame to the town of Pallet!"

And then there were cheers – always cheers – because as time went by, it seemed Shigeru developed more and more fans. He counted six flanking him – six very beautiful girls in cheerleading skirts – and his face heated up from embarrassment and anger and spite, an odd sinking sensation in his stomach. He wanted to smack them.

"Don't worry, jari-booi." Shigeru continued, and Satoshi flinched at the nickname. "I'm sure you'll catch up. . ."

And for a moment he thought of the half-pokeball sitting faithfully on his bedside table back home. But this was different. Shigeru wasn't going to break his fame in half and share it. No. . .whatever friendship they had before was over now.

Another flash of lightening, and Satoshi was jerked sharply back into reality.

Takeshi tossed his dark head. "This is pointless. Forfeit now." he taunted.

"I forfeit." The words spilled from Satoshi's mouth before his mind could even register the order, and immediately everything seemed to freeze. Onix stopped moving, Pikachu's eyes were wide, Takeshi had a look of stark disbelief on his face. . .Satoshi felt his blood run cold, realizing what he had just done – what the Gym Leader had _made_ him do, and for a moment the world around him seemed to come crashing down.

_How can I expect to be a Pokemon Master. . .like this?_

"Very well." Takeshi said, seeming to recover quickly from his initial surprise. "The battle is over. Onix – return."

A flash of red light as the rock pokemon vanished, Satoshi still staring blankly where it's body had once been. Pikachu scurried to his side, desperate and hurt, tugging at the hem of his jeans with confusion and betrayal written across her small face. He had let her down in forfeiting, regardless of whose fault it was – it had been her battle as much as it had been his.

"I'm sorry." he whispered, and Pikachu wilted.

As far as he knew, the mouse didn't know of his curse. She must have sensed something was wrong, he assumed, but of course, they hadn't been friends for long now, and usually when the curse was in action it was for small orders, orders like "Pick that up" or "leave me alone", never something like forfeiting a match that meant so much to him. But he was determined to keep it a secret from as many people – and pokemon – as possible. It was his burden to bear. For now, Pikachu would just have to blame him.

They walked home in silence, Pikachu's head hanging sadly, not looking up at him, Satoshi with his hands folded into his pockets. _What would Shigeru say if he saw me now. . ._he thought. _He'd probably laugh. Can't even earn one badge – yeah, of course he'd laugh at that._

_I ought to let him know I won't be seeing him on the road, then. I can't continue being a Pokemon Trainer when I can't even talk for myself. I just hope he's not. . .disappointed in me for –_

"Hey." A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. Satoshi turned around, Pikachu mimicking him, and he did a quick double-take to see Takeshi standing behind him, looking worried.

"You look down." the dark-skinned trainer observed. "Don't be so depressed – most people give up on their first try, you know?"

Satoshi opened his mouth, then sighed and nodded. It was pointless to argue – it's not as if he could tell him the real reason why he was so sad. He _hadn't _given up, after all.

"Where are you headed?"

"Home." Satoshi said sadly. "To Pallet."

"Look, would you like to stay at my house for the night, if it would cheer you up a little?" Takeshi said worriedly. "I've got lots of brothers and sisters, so it may be a little chaotic, but it always gets me down to see people headed home after one defeat."

_It's not like I want to do this, _Satoshi thought bitterly. "Do you have a pidgy or a pidgeotto?" he asked at last.

Takeshi blinked. "Yeah – my girlfriend has a pidgeotto. Why?"

"I need to write a letter to. . .someone. To let them know I'm going home." Satoshi said, thinking guiltily of Shigeru. "If it's not too much trouble, could I borrow your girlfriend's pidgeotto to send the message?"

"That should be fine with her." Takeshi said, relaxing a little. "Come on, follow me."

Satoshi spared one last glance at Pikachu. _I'm sorry, _he thought again, wishing the pokemon could understand, and reluctantly followed after Takeshi's retreating back.

- - - - - -

"You forfeited, huh? Can't say I approve of that, but if your Pikachu was doing bad, well, sometimes it best. . ."

Takeshi's girlfriend, a spunky red-head named Kasumi, moved about the kitchen, setting thirteen plates on two large, pushed-together tables. Satoshi quickly counted heads and felt his face heat up slightly. "Oh – you don't have to cook for me, I'll be leaving as soon as I send my message and your pidgeotto returns safely, so – "

"Don't be stupid, one more plate won't kill me." Kasumi insisted. "It's rude to argue with the cook, you know." she added when Satoshi opened his mouth again. "Why don't you go upstairs and write that letter? By the time your done dinner should be finished cooking."

"Here." Takeshi said, gathering some paper and handing it to him. "Take your time." he added, and slipped a hand around Kasumi's waist. Kasumi batted it away busily.

"I hope you don't mind me borrowing your pokemon. . ."

"Not at all. Go on." Kasumi said, blushing a little as Takeshi placed his arm back at her waist, and Satoshi smiled at her and headed upstairs.

There was a nice seat by the window, so he took it and spread the paper out before him, staring down at the blank whiteness emptily before hesitantly writing; _Shigeru,_

The boy's name looked so alien written down on paper. He was used to it on his tongue, calling it out on summer days while chasing each other around the yard, whispering it while spying on wild pokemon, laughing it while dodging tickles and playful punches. He had never written a serious letter to Shigeru before. He never had to.

_I'm quitting. _He wrote slowly, and thought about adding 'I'm sorry'. But imagining Shigeru reading the letter, he thought apologizing might just make him sneer. _I'm going home to Pallet, so I probably won't see you again until you return. _He paused. _Good luck. _He whispered those two words as he wrote them, unsure if he really meant them or not. "Good luck." he muttered again, sighing, and signed the short letter before folding it up and heading back downstairs.

- - - - - -

"So what's Pallet town like?" Kasumi asked, chopsticks in hand.

"Um, small." said Satoshi truthfully. Pikachu was nibbling on a carrot on the floor beside him, looking around curiously. "But it's nice. It's easier to make. . .friends, I guess." Shigeru's young face shot into his mind, and he stared down at his plate of food, suddenly not hungry. He could imagine the boy reading his letter now, in disappointment, or in anger, or even worse, in disgust.

"So what are your friends like, Satoshi?" Takeshi asked.

"Popular." Satoshi answered, still imagining him. "The one had. . .fans. Lots of them, mostly girls. There were six of them that would follow him around everywhere – "

Takeshi's chopsticks fell to the table with a dull clatter. "_Six_ girls? Why?"

Kasumi shot him a poisonous look.

"Well, he left Pallet to become a Pokemon Trainer, so I guess they sort of looked up to him. Glory for our town and all. Maybe they just wanted in on the fame."

"He's famous?"

"Not yet." Satoshi mumbled.

"I bet you're happy to have a friend with such high goals." Kasumi said. "Even if he is a little. . .overly popular." she added, choosing her words carefully.

"Yeah. Happy."

There was a tapping on the window. Everyone looked up, including Pikachu and Takeshi's ten brothers and sister's, who had fallen silent for the entire dinner, watching Satoshi with curious, somewhat distrusting eyes. Pidgeotto was back, carrying a letter in it's claws. Kasumi hurried to the window and opened it, taking the pokemon in her hands and petting it's back affectionately before taking the message off him.

"Here you are." she said, passing it to Satoshi. Satoshi unraveled it slowly, dreadfully, his heart pounding madly in his ears. He expected a snide comment, or questions, or bold, angry letters. What he didn't expect were the smooth, calmly written words he found written across the crisp piece of paper;

_Coward. Follow me._

A strange tingling sensation erupted in his body, and in a minute he was on his feet, twelve pairs of alarmed eyes fixed on him. _Follow me. . ._an order.

"Oh no." Satoshi whispered. "Oh _no. . ._"

But his body didn't listen, already walking out the door. Pikachu scurried after him, startled, her mouth agape. Panicked, Satoshi whipped his head around and called back to them; "Thank you for letting me borrow your pokemon! I have to – I have to go – "

"Satoshi?!"

"I'm sorry!"

Somehow, his body knew where to move. He headed left, down the dirt road, then right, Pikachu at his heels. Giving up, Satoshi sighed and turned his head, watching the slowly fading home, Takeshi at the door, Kasumi's bright head of hair stuck out the window, waving, her face bewildered.


	3. Along for the Ride

_A/N: _I'm working fast, aren't I? I wonder how long that will last. . .

- - - - - -

OBEDIENCE

- - - - - -

They had been walking for a little over two hours. Satoshi's legs were beginning to ache, but there was no way to stop them. He let himself be pulled in every direction, bound by the curse, the usually energetic Pikachu already exhausted and trailing along behind him. She gave him confused and put-out glares every once in a while and sighed softly to herself, sometimes folding her arms across her small body in distaste. Satoshi had apologized to her numerous times, and by now so many 'I'm sorry's had crossed his lips that he felt as if he might simply fall apart if he had to say it again. Anyway, whether the electric mouse knew it or not, it wasn't _his_ fault. It was Shigeru's.

Almost another half hour passed before he spotted the car.

The first thing he noticed with the brunette sitting on the end of it, brushing her long hair, skirt laying over her thighs, bare legs crossed. Another girl was by her side, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. Then a third, kicking at the ground lazily – a fourth, singing quietly to herself – a fifth, gazing up at the clear blue sky, and the sixth was. . .sitting beside Shigeru.

Shigeru was relaxing in the car, his hands behind his head, rust colored hair spiked haphazardly. He was chatting with the girl, looking smug, and then, as Satoshi watched, he turned his head and called something. All the girls began to climb back into the car, adjusting their skirts and hair, talking happily with each other. One of them climbed in the front seat, pulled a pair of glasses out of a compartment, and slid them over her face. The car started up. Satoshi felt his heart jump into his throat.

"_Wait!_"

He broke out into a run, Pikachu complaining loudly by his side as she struggled to keep up. In slow motion, it seemed, the car backed up, then began to drive, slowly picking up speed. . .

"Wait! Shigeru, _hold it!_"

Shigeru's head turned. His eyes widened. He said something to the driver, and for one horrible moment Satoshi thought he was telling her to speed up. But then the vehicle slowed and Satoshi sprinted up to it, stopping only when he was at Shigeru's side and thus pleasing the curse of obedience, panting and clutching a stitch at his side.

He looked up. Shigeru was staring down at him, his eyes narrowed. And suddenly, Satoshi felt like dirt, like the most pathetic thing in the world, exhausted and sweaty and catching his breath before his so-called rival and his horde of fangirls. How much lower could he sink?

"I – following – I was following – " Satoshi stammered out between breaths.

For a moment, Shigeru said nothing. Then, he jerked his head toward the back of the vehicle. "Get in the car, Satoshi." he said in disgust.

Unable to disobey, Satoshi could do nothing but scoop Pikachu into his arms and climb inside.

He slid awkwardly into the seat beside the brunette, who looked him up and down disapprovingly before saying; "You're Satoshi, aren't you? The rival?"

"Um. . ." Satoshi began, and again his thoughts automatically jumped to his childhood, to wrestling with Shigeru and laughing as he was pinned to the ground, to whispering secrets in the privacy of their rooms, to his warm, soft hands on the fishing rod. . .how did he go from that – from all of that. . .to 'the rival?'

"Cute Pikachu you've got there." Another voice interrupted his thoughts, and Satoshi couldn't tell if the girl was being serious or sarcastic. "Er. . .thanks."

"I'm Kimi." she said. "This is Chiyo, Suzuka, Hana, Michiru, Noriko. . ." she began to point in all directions. None of the girls waved – most of them just glared. Others rolled their eyes. One didn't even spare him a glance – she kept her eyes in the opposite direction, watching trees pass by.

". . .nice to meet you." Satoshi mumbled, unconsciously tightening his grip on Pikachu. The pokemon shot him an uncomfortable look and he apologetically released her. The girls ignored him pointedly, even Kimi, who had introduced them, and he turned his attention back to Pikachu, his only remaining friend.

"I guess we're stuck here for a while, huh?" he muttered, petting her head.

"Pikapi." she answered sullenly, apparently still debating whether or not to forgive him.

Time passed. Satoshi felt his thoughts slowly black out, only aware of the humming of the engine and the passing scenery, and of Pikachu dozing off in his lap. The girls had decided to give him the cold shoulder ever since they had been introduced, and Satoshi was a little glad for it. He really didn't feel like being on the receiving end of any hateful comments at the moment – not when he was still exhausted from walking and sour from forfeiting and following Shigeru's written order.

Eventually the car stopped, and Satoshi looked up to find they were in front of a large hotel. The sky had darkened considerably, and he could even count a few rare stars studding the dark expanse. Shigeru hopped out of the car coolly and smiled at the girls. "Well, here we are. Ready to bed down for the night?"

"Mmm-hmm!" They all answered happily in unison.

"Head inside – I want to have a word with him." Shigeru jerked his thumb toward Satoshi, whose heart skipped a beat in turn. The girls all looked darkly toward him before climbing delicately out of the car and heading into the hotel's roomy entrance.

Satoshi got out of the car slowly, setting the curious Pikachu on the ground beside him.

"So – jari-booi." Shigeru said, and Satoshi had a feeling this would be a bad conversation. "What's your deal?"

"You told me to follow you." Satoshi said flatly. "So I did."

Shigeru shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't mean it _that_ way. You're really giving up on your journey, huh?"

"Yeah." Satoshi answered, unsure of how else to reply. There wasn't much more to say – Shigeru couldn't find out about the curse.

"Too difficult? Couldn't keep up with me?"

"It's none of your business." Satoshi said hotly.

"It _is_ my business." Shigeru countered evenly. "I just gave you a ride and I'm even going to be nice enough to pay for your room tonight. You're in my debt, jari-booi."

"I never asked you to – "

"You were gonna keep chasing my car even if I didn't stop, from the looks of it." he said coldly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because. . ." Satoshi muttered. "Because. . .you asked me to." he finished truthfully.

Shigeru raised his eyebrows. "You're not the Satoshi I remember."

"Maybe I'm not."

"You like me or something?"

"Who said anything about liking you?" Satoshi shot back. At the moment, he was far from liking the other boy. Closer to slapping him, maybe.

"I guess I'm just that likable." Shigeru sneered, gesturing to the girls inside the building, and Satoshi blushed. ". . .seriously, jari-booi, what's your deal?"

"So I gave up. I gave up – are you happy now? I failed. Isn't that what you want to hear?" Satoshi seethed. "Isn't that what you wanted from your 'rival' – defeat?"

Shigeru's features hardened, and he took a step closer. Satoshi didn't move, despite his instincts telling him to back away.

"The Satoshi I remember was a hard-headed brat." he whispered darkly.

"Yeah, well, maybe the Satoshi you remember got sick of trying so hard." His own words shocked him – they seemed to spill out of his mouth unwillingly. He was tired, and worn, and _embarrassed, _embarrassed at even being here at all, at being at the mercy of the curse – at the mercy of Shigeru. Right now, he should be on his pokemon journey, he should have a badge or two pinned to his jacket, and pokeballs on his belt. He should be growing up, and having fun, and learning life, not. . .not following orders blindly and chasing after _cars_.

"I'm disappointed."

"Get used to disappointment." Satoshi said bitterly, walking past him with Pikachu following loyally behind. And then – something on his arm – Shigeru's hand, fingers locked around his wrist like a manacle.

"Is that all you have to say?" he asked, his hand tightening.

"Let go, Shigeru." Satoshi hissed.

And to his surprise, Shigeru's grip slackened. Satoshi held his hands back at his sides, glancing down at Pikachu once, almost as if he needed her reassurance, and then began to head inside the hotel, hearing Shigeru's footsteps behind him.

"You're sharing a room with me, you know."

Satoshi stopped.

"Oh, come on." he sneered. "It's not like I'd leave you alone with the girls, right? They don't seem to like you very much anyway."

"Shut up." was all he could think to reply, his face heating up.

"I think we're gonna have fun." Shigeru laughed. "Just like old times."

Satoshi's shoulders stiffened.

"Well, don't just stand there." It was Shigeru who walked past him this time, striding evenly and confidently inside. He even held the door open for him. Satoshi wondered vaguely if he should be grateful or insulted.

The girls were waiting inside, talking amongst themselves, and all glared at Satoshi when he appeared at Shigeru's side. He glanced down at Pikachu again, who was waving one of her short arms awkwardly at the uninterested girls, while Shigeru payed for the rooms. Then, he followed, still helplessly bound by the spell, as the other girls trailed behind, moody and silent.

It took a few minutes for the rooms to be chosen. The girls split up in three groups of two and said goodnight happily to Shigeru. One of them – Kimi, Satoshi remembered – even hugged him. But to his surprise, Shigeru didn't hug her back. The entire time, his eyes were locked on Satoshi.

Once Kimi retired to her room, he unlocked theirs and held the door open once more. "Ladies first."

"Very funny." He headed inside regardless, Pikachu following, still tired and unwilling to start a fight. Shigeru followed, locking the door behind him, and then coughed pointedly, trying to get his attention. Satoshi ignored him, flopping down on one of the beds while Pikachu curled up on the floor.

Something plopped down beside him. Satoshi groaned. "What do you want?"

A hand gripped his chin with surprising strength and turned his face toward him, and in the next second he found himself nose-to-nose with Shigeru, looking directly into deep, green eyes. He stared for a moment, dumbstruck, realizing just what sort of position they were in, then felt a blush creep into his face. Shigeru's fingers tightened slightly.

"You say you've changed." he whispered. "But you really haven't changed at all, have you?"

He leaned in.

A moment. The world seemed to freeze. Satoshi felt his body seize up, his heart jump into his throat. And then, Shigeru turned away, releasing his face and laying his head back against the pillow as if nothing had happened.

"Shigeru –" he whispered.

"Sleep on the floor." Shigeru ordered, and Satoshi gaped at him. "I'd be weird to share a bed, right?" he added.

"I. . ." Satoshi began stupidly, but already his body was rising and pulling him down unto the carpet. He curled up there, blushing still, staring at the foot of the bed, when a pillow hit the side of his face. Satoshi took it quietly and propped it up under his head.

"'night, jari-booi."

Satoshi grinded his teeth together and said nothing. Snapping back at him now would do no good, not when they were stuck in a room together for the night. Pikachu climbed over him and peered worriedly into his eyes, and he stroked her head slowly. To his surprise, she nodded her tiny head and crawled into his arms, nuzzling her head against his neck comfortingly. He held her close.

"Thanks, Pikachu."

At least he wasn't in this alone.


	4. Envy

_A/N: _Whew, still re-watching pokemon episodes to get back in character. Obviously this is early pokemon timeline, so Shigeru is still arrogant, but he'll grow up. –winks-

My confidence is so very low when it comes to this story. . .sadly, I'm still working on re-playing GU to work on Selfish, so temporarily I don't have that comfort to fall back on. Hopefully things will turn out good.

- - - - - -

OBEDIENCE

- - - - - -

Satoshi woke up to voices.

He blinked several times, Pikachu's sleeping face coming slowly into focus, and listened intently, bewildered.

" – are you doing? I'm sorry, Shigeru-kun, but he doesn't seem to like you very much – "

"How would you know about that?" came the even voice of Shigeru. "I've known him since I was a kid."

Silence. Satoshi sat up sleepily on his elbows, careful not to wake the dozing Pikachu.

"Shigeru-kun, is he really coming with us?"

"He can if he wants, Kimi. . .but I doubt he really wants to. I don't know why he's here." A pause. "You girls really hate him?"

"He's your rival, isn't he?"

"He quit his journey. I don't know _what_ that makes him."

He sounded serious – far more serious than he had the night before. Did that mean he had been. . .playing with him again? Or maybe he just thought differently of him – different from how he treated the girls. But. . .

"About that. . .we were talking." Kimi said shyly, her voice cutting into his thoughts. "And we thought – well – maybe he's just like us, even if he is. . .you know, _was – _your rival. Maybe he just wants. . .something. . .and maybe he thinks you can help."

Something changed in Shigeru's voice. "Is he just like you, Kimi?"

Satoshi blinked. Unless he was imagining it, the voices he heard now were almost. . .romantic. Kimi's, shy and soft and sweet, Shigeru's, deep and serious, strange, even, hard to interpret. . .

"Is he?" Kimi whispered, and now Satoshi sat up far enough to see their shadows on the opposite wall – leaning closer. He thought automatically of Shigeru the night before – the hand on his chin, the soft spoken words – leaning closer – and something bitter rose in his stomach. Then, Shigeru turned his head away, and Kimi fell dejectedly back on her heels with a small sigh. Disappointment.

"You should wake the others. We'll head out in an hour."

"Okay."

"Don't worry about it, Kimi. I'll sort it all out."

"Okay." Kimi repeated, her voice slightly more cheerful now.

Satoshi had no time to lay back down as the door closed and Shigeru turned around. The boy's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then, his expression quickly changed to a mask of smugness. "Rise and shine, jari-booi."

"Who was that?"

"Kimi." he answered shortly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Sleep well?"

"As well as you can sleep on the floor." Satoshi said poisonously. Shigeru shrugged. "You _want _the girls to chatter on about us sharing a bed for the rest of the trip?"

"They wouldn't – "

"They would." Shigeru warned. Satoshi got to his feet, careful not to brush against Pikachu and risk being on the receiving end of a startled thundershock.

"So." he yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "You still think I'm your rival?"

"That depends." Shigeru's eyes never left him. "Do you want to be?"

Satoshi stared. And for a brief second, he thought he saw a trace of something in the other boy's eyes, some unspoken something from their childhood, back when things were so much simpler and he slept with half a pokeball beside his bed each night. But then he blinked, and that something was gone.

"Pikapi. . ."

Satoshi jumped, startled. Pikachu was on her feet, gazing up at him sleepily, one tiny fist rubbing at her soft, brown eyes. Shigeru chuckled.

"She's cute."

"Don't even think about petting her." Satoshi said seriously. "She's very particular about who she's friendly with."

Another chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind."

That serious look on his face. . .the same that matched his voice when he was talking to Kimi. Satoshi turned away, uncomfortable, and scooped Pikachu into his arms. "You ready to go?" he muttered to her, patting her head affectionately. She nodded with a soft 'chu', her ears bouncing.

"I have a match today." Shigeru said offhandedly, and Satoshi felt a strange seizing in his heart he could only distantly identify as jealousy. "Are you coming?"

"I have to follow you." he muttered automatically. There was silence, and he immediately regretted saying it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shigeru tilt his head curiously to one side. "Then don't follow me. Don't be stupid, jari-booi, nobody's making you."

Satoshi felt the oddest sensation of something being lifted off his shoulders. The spell falling away.

But. . .

"Well, are you coming or not?"

. . .it would be a chance to see another battle. To see pokemon again. To feel the thrill of a fight. To forget about his worries and just cheer, even if it was for Shigeru.

"Jari-booi?" Shigeru probed impatiently.

"Yeah." he said quickly. ". . .I'll go."

- - - - -

Satoshi decided he would never get used to being in a car with six beautiful girls, no matter how often Shigeru was. Their hair fanned gracefully in the wind and then settled perfectly back into place when the car slowed, their delicate hands lay on their skirts, brushing a stray lock behind one ear or make a meaningless gesture as they spoke. They smiled white smiles to each other and even, he noticed with some surprise, managed not to glare whenever they caught Satoshi's eye. But he could never get used to it. The whole thing made him horribly uncomfortable, and more than once he found himself squirming in his seat.

"I'm getting pretty good, ya know." Shigeru was bragging, and it took a few seconds for Satoshi to realize he wasn't speaking to the girls, but to him. "My pokemon have gotten a lot stronger."

"Good for you." Satoshi said sarcastically, and Pikachu nodded her small head enthusiastically, brown eyes narrowed.

"It's a shame you quit." Shigeru continued. "We could have had a battle."

At this Pikachu's ears twitched upward, looking eager to take the challenge. Satoshi smiled distantly, almost wishing he could have said yes. But there was no way he'd put himself up for more shame by setting the stage for a pokemon battle. Not when he could lose – or when his curse could be found out – so very easily, as it was with Takeshi.

"Shame." he echoed quietly instead.

Shigeru whirled around in his seat, eyes fixed on Satoshi.

"You're so _obedient, _jari-booi, you know?" he said sharply. "What happened to having a backbone?"

Satoshi stared directly into his twin emerald eyes, stunned.

". . .I-I am not!" he stuttered back once he recovered from his shock. "What makes you think – "

"So why not fight me? You have a Pikachu!"

"_Pika!_" Pikachu said angrily, and Satoshi clutched her closer. "Because – I quit! How dense are you, Shigeru!? I said I _quit!_"

"That doesn't mean you can't – "

"_No!_" Satoshi said loudly, and the car feel abruptly silent. Even the driver had turned to glance back at them. The girls were positively gawking, neither of them daring to say a word. Shigeru's face was unreadable.

"Why did you come?" he asked at last. "If you quit, why do you want to see me battle? Trying to wallow in your self pity?" he added bitterly.

"It's not like that!" Satoshi insisted, feeling himself get worked up again. "I just – I – "

_I miss it._

Yes. . .he missed it. It was his dream, after all. Fighting to the top, earning badges, traveling, making new friends. . .it was like some wonderful destiny just waiting to be fulfilled. He wanted it, more than just watching, he wanted to be a _part_ of it, to _fight _in it, and damn it, couldn't Shigeru see that? Couldn't he see that it was impossible, that he was trapped, that for as long as things could be, he would never be able to live his own life freely? He was under everyone's command, no matter who it was. His life was just there for other's pleasure, just existing to be dragged along for the ride. But he _missed it, _he missed that little bit of freedom, like a bird in a cage who had gotten a small taste of the wind beneath it's wings, far from confining iron bars. He missed it.

Dimly, he realized there were tears rising to his eyes. Shigeru was staring at him.

"Listen, jari-booi – " he began, and Satoshi didn't have time to tell if his tone was annoyed or apologetic. "I'm not coming in." he interrupted shortly. "I'll wait in the car." Why go, when it would only be more torture to endure?

". . .Satoshi. . ."

"Drop it, Shigeru."

Shigeru tossed his head, and just like that, he was back to his old arrogant self. "Well, girls – we're here." he announced, turning back around. Satoshi glanced up – they had, indeed, arrived. Immediately they began to climb out of the car, chattering excitedly, Shigeru in the lead. He looked over his shoulder once, a strange expression on his face, and Satoshi seemed to feel the ground fall out from underneath him.

For what seemed like an eternity, he was caught in his gaze again, transported, his mind falling toward everything and nothing, toward sunnier days and warm, soft hands, and was this really the same guy that left half a pokeball on is bedside table?

_What?_ he thought blankly. _Shigeru. . .?_

It was only when one of the girls leaned forward to whisper something in his ear that Shigeru finally looked away.

- - - - -

The sun was beating down on his back. The car seats seemed to have heated up beneath it's sharp glare. Pikachu was laying across his lap, fanning herself clumsily, uttering soft 'pika's as she looked up at him as if expecting him to say something.

"It's okay, Pikachu." he murmured at last. "But you know how long matches can take."

"Pi_ka. . ._"

". . .I miss it." he said aloud, and voicing his thoughts like that made him feeling suddenly and blissfully free. "Yeah, I miss it, who am I kidding? You miss it too, don't you, Pikachu? You miss being able to fight."

"Pikachuuu. . ."

"Why should I go in anyway?" he said, ignoring the steady rise of his voice as no one was there to hear. "What does he expect, for me to be one of his cheerleaders? I'd fight him if I could." he fell silent suddenly, looking down at Pikachu and wondering if she understood the curse yet. "If I could." he repeated in a whisper. "Pikachu. . .maybe I should have told you a long time ago."

Pikachu sat up. "Pika. . .?"

". . .oh?" A high, female voice interrupted, and Satoshi whirled around, startled, to see one of Shigeru's cheerleader's heading toward the car, her skirt swishing. "Tell her what?"

Satoshi gawked at her, his fingers unconsciously closing protectively around his pokemon. ". . .is the match over?" he asked at last.

"No, I just came out to talk to you." the girl said, smiling. "I'm Kimi, remember me?"

Yes, he remembered her – from just this morning, in fact. He could recall every breathless word she said to Shigeru. Satoshi tried to smile at her and failed miserably.

Kimi was a truly beautiful girl now that he saw her alone, without Shigeru or the others to crowd around her. Her hair was thick and shining, her body graceful, expressive eyes large and not without stunning depth. She was the kind of girl that could wear a simple skirt and top and make it look like designer clothing.

Satoshi didn't trust her at all.

"And you're Satoshi, Shigeru's. . .friend." she said happily when he didn't answer. "At least, I think you are. I really can't tell."

She opened the car door and slid easily into the seat beside him.

"Satoshi-kun. . .what are you to him?"

Satoshi looked at her, puzzled. ". . .we used to be friends. . ." he said slowly, wondering what sort of answer she was looking for.

"Used to?" Kimi frowned, the corners of her painted lips turning down just enough to give her a doll-like look. "Whenever he talks about you, he gets this strange look in his eyes, like. . .well, I'm not sure what." she explained cautiously. "Something different than what I've ever seen before. Maybe he misses being your friend, Satoshi-kun."

"I doubt that." he sighed.

"Everyone misses someone." Kimi insisted.

"Not him." Satoshi said bitterly.

"Hmm." She placed a slender finger to her lips. ". . .by the way, I heard you were sleeping on the floor." she noted, a sudden change in topic.

_Heard? _She must have seen him when she came to the doorway to talk to Shigeru. Satoshi's lips thinned. "Yeah." he said shortly, unwilling to discuss it further. "Kimi, how come you're not inside cheering on Shigeru?"

"Oh, I'd love to." she said honestly. "But he already knows I'm cheering him on." Her finger fell from her lips and rested instead at her chest, directly over her heart. "Right here." she said, tapping the spot gently. "Besides, I wanted to ask you how you felt about him."

How he felt? "Why does it matter?" Satoshi questioned, his face feeling strangely hot.

"Because. . ." She trailed off, and the finger over her heart became and open palm, clutching, as if she could feel some sort of power radiating off of her. "Because I love him."

Satoshi tried not to stare, averting his eyes to his feet instead. She _loved _him? How could anyone. . .possibly. . .? "I'm nothing to him." he said at last.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Kimi said. "He's letting you travel with us, isn't he?"

"He's just making sure I know that he's better than me." The same bitterness crept back into his voice.

"He's not like that." Kimi whispered, sounding hurt.

"I know him." Satoshi said. "We used to be friends, and then. . ." he trailed off, suddenly wishing he hadn't said that. Kimi's hand fell from her chest, and she leaned forward a little, curiously.

"And then what?" Her large eyes seemed to trap him.

". . .I don't know what." he admitted uneasily.

And then, to his surprise, she laughed.

He jumped, staring at her in genuine surprise.

"I don't know why I was even concerned!" Kimi giggled, wiping at her eyes. "If you can't even hold a_ friendship_ together, why should I be worried that you would take him from me?"

He blinked. "'Take him from you'?"

"Oh, yes." She said, her laughter ebbing away to be replaced by lingering smile. "But I guess I was wrong. You're cute, Satoshi. . ." She leaned closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. . .

". . .but I'm cuter."

Kimi smoothed out the folds in her skirt and slipped out of the car, shutting the door delicately behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him, smiling still, and winked.

"Bye-bye."

She headed back inside, hips swaying confidently.

Satoshi was only vaguely aware of his hands curling into fists.


End file.
